The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1887-02-24
Thc Statue Ee.f Erikson.

The conception OF the sculptor pre-
sents to us a fuli-grown giant, with a
strong but intellectual and beard!ess
face, rather Roman than Greek. and dis
.;ncslr not of recognized tarbaric type
! lie has Just set foot, il advance Of his
companions, upon an unknown shore,
where nc stands. saiicr-faskion. with his
legs somewhat nrart. bat firmly poised
upon his lett. in ,;,c attitude of one ea-
gerry scanning ;he distance The LETT
hand shades the eyes; The right. resting
2pon bis hip, hci,;s q signal horn,
bTaFeiy bedockcd with Eun;c device
Ike drin!1ing-cup of the Skalils. he
is clad IN short, slccveicss jcrl;n. or
coat of scale ar1ror, closely fitting
around the hips, and adorned with two
round bossed plates upon the breasts.
Beneath it a linen tunic dcsccnds half
way down the thighs. lie wears dec
Grated belt snd a sheaihed dagger at
his waist. Upol his long, shaggy locks
is set small, round cap OF steel The
powerful arms are bare, and the skin
| tight leggin - Tcfc:l the strong aEa:o-
my OF the loser limbs. Upon the feet
are shoes, apparently Of sii;shed leather.
! and the legs are not eross-gartered.
The general expression of the figure is
one OF alert and vigorous manhood;
it IS modelled oa heroic scale, and
posed like one who pauses for moment
and for = definite purpose in the midst
of an active career Left, however. is
portrayed as Il man of thought as well
as Of action; in the whole conception Of
him there is not only more of civiliza-
ton than barbarism, but more of classic
than romantic sentiment.
1t is evident tiiat upon this fund2men-
tai point the sculptor is ready 10 take
issue with those who conceive that out
Of Scandinavia, in the tenth century,
nothing better could issue than manly
virtue of a brutal sort, aud n very saw
age and coarse-fbrcd energy.
According 10 The Sagas, Left Erikson
was prince, son of Erik the Red, Jarl
of Norway. 1t may be fairly assumed
that this crude court had received somc
reflection, however faint, from the civil
ization of the south. 1t was four or
five centuries before the era of Left
when the hordcs from this northern
hive" oyerran the Roman Empire, and
his own ancestors may have occupied
the Paiatine among the conqusrors.
Fired by the narrative of Bjarne, who
in 9S5 first visited the coast Of North
America, he set ont with tiiirty-fise men
in the year 1000. and discovered Labra-
dor and Vinisnd. A few years later he
was sent TO Greenland to spread Chris
tia2ity among the Morse settlements.
He is described by the S;.gas as a.
great and strong man, grave and well
favored, Herewith sensible and moder-
ate in all things" No act OF piracy Or
rapine is recorded of him.
Upon the basis Of these records, it
would seem that the artist is historical
iy justified il sssociating a certain de-
gree of intellectual and moral force, if
not of :ictnai refinement, with the pro-
per physical characteristics Of her semi
barbaric hero. The burden OF proof
lies with those who ara disposed to typi-
fy the reputed discovcrer of Eiassachu-
sets Bay and the island of Nantucket
and Martha's Vineyard as Hun or
Goth Of the third century.-Henry Fan
Bru7!t e., Jissie atlantic.